In a bow to the growing diversity of America’s religious landscape, the Claremont School of Theology, a Christian institution with long ties to the Methodist Church, will add clerical training for Muslims and Jews to its curriculum this fall, to become, in a sense, the first truly multi-faith American seminary…. Eventually, Claremont hopes to add clerical programs for Buddhists and Hindus.
[From Claremont seminary reaches beyond Christianity – latimes.com]
This makes sense, in a way. It makes sense if the purpose of a seminary is to equip students in understanding religion. It makes sense if religions are traditions, culturally contingent ways of looking at reality. It makes sense if members of a religious tradition see themselves as just that: members of a tradition. It makes sense if religion represents an association, a voluntary club to belong to, or a way of expressing solidarity with one’s background. It makes sense if religion and truth have no conversation with each other.
Yet it doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t make sense if the purpose of a seminary is to equip students to minister truth. It doesn’t make sense if Jesus Christ actually died for our sins. In fact it doesn’t even make sense if the seminary just believes that Jesus Christ died for our sins; for no one holding that belief can support any contrary beliefs. To believe in the Cross is to disbelieve every alternative.
According to the article (for whatever that’s worth), the Jewish seminary being established at Claremont holds at least some of its core beliefs loosely. Maybe its leaders take the view that Judaism is a culturally contingent kind of association.
I wonder if the Islamic group sees it that way.
I wonder how Claremont can still consider itself “a Christian institution.” With these changes it has given up all claim to the name.
Once underway, Claremont should seek to “twin” itself with a corresponding Muslim seminary in Saudi Arabia that offers seminary training for Christians and Jews. Is it too soon to start thinking about an exchange program?
That would be a most instructive experiment, I’m sure!